Archive for September 15, 2013

Gordon Parks was an African-American photographer born in the year 1912 in Fort Scott, Kansas. Parks was renown for his work dealing with the overwhelming at times racism he felt in relocating to Washington D.C. In addition to photography Parks was also a film maker, film director, film writer, and composer.

price range information: Works range from $2,000 to $123,000l.

Gordon Parks’s story is one of just being in the right place at the right time. When he was 25 he bought his first camera. The person who developed the film rolls could see he has an eye for the right shot. The person sent the photos to fashion company located in Minnesota. Eventually the photos came across a celebrity in the wife of American boxer Joe Louis. She encouraged to take a job in Chicago and relocate.

In 1942 he worked with the Farm Security Administration as a lead photographer located in Washington D.C.

Over his career shot many magazine covers for LIFE magazine. Parks also worked for other fashion magazines including Vogue. Parks was respected for his ability to shoot the model whilst they were in motion rather than just pose them.

In 1968 he won an Emmy Award for a documentary on an African- American family living in Harlem, New York. Gordon Parks also directed the hit movie from 1971 titled SHAFT.

Parks was given the National Medal of the Arts by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

Birger Sandzen, also known as Sven Birger Sandzen, was a wonderful painter of the American landscape with a colorist palette. Sandzen was born in the year 1871 in Blidsburg, Sweden.Sandzen was a wonderful oil painter and printmaker. I enjoy his paintings of trees the most!

At the age of 10 years old began to take classes from a professional artist.

price range information: Woodcuts and prints can be found for at $1,500 to larger oils costing as much as $200,000.

He studied briefly at the University of Lund. He left college and ended up studying with a more informal group of artists that were learning from the master Anders Zorn. After learning from this great master Zorn recommended Sandzen move to Paris. Whilst in Paris Sandzen learned about the new movements of pointillism and impressionism.

In 1894 the artist relocated to the United States and was a collegiate art professor at Bethany College located in Kansas.

In this clip we view a segment from documentary by Colorado Public Television on Birger Sandzen:

Birger Sandzen passed away in 1954 at the age of 83 years old.

If you enjoy the way this artist paints trees check out other artists Albert Handell, Richard Schmid, Lynn Boggess, and Peter Hoffer. All of these artists have unique and wonderful techniques of painting the tree.

Steven Gagnon is a wonderful American artist born in the year 1973 in Fort Pierce, Florida. For his artistic education the artist attended Pepperdine University in California. Another artist who works in many mediums including video installations, printmaking, and sculpture. some themes include oil and money.

price range information: Sorry none available.

As far as categories I would include him as a modern day pop artist. His art includes current politics including oil and the people that battle for it daily. You may notice on the dollar sign work and many works a basic shape is covered with plastic toy soldiers representing the mass human force needed to extract and refine the oil.

In this wonderful clip we view another video installation. In this piece we are taken in a cab to various locales around New York City. Many cab drivers are interviewed and we find out how many countries are represented in the taxi cab drivers of the Big Apple:

In this clip we view a wonderful video installation dealing with love letters from his grandfather to his fiancee. Its from the 1930s and Florida. With the car and video images on the windows its like being in a time capsule.

First of all what a great name for an artist! Art Thompson was born in the year 1948 in a small villlage named Whyac located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. His heritage includes two nations, the Coast Salish and Nuu-chah-nulth nations. Art Thompson was an all around artist making totem poles, masks, and jewelry.

His father and grandfather were renown artists producing totem poles and masks.

The artist developed tuberculosis and spent much time in hospital as a child.

Started to work at age 13 in the logging industry.

For his artistic education Art Thompson attended the Camosun College in Victoria. Whilst in college he studied commercial design and also came back to his roots. He started to use ideas and images from the Nuu-chah-nulth nation.

Art Thompson passed away in 2003.

price range information: Most serigraphs or prints priced between $500 and $1,000. No pricing available for masks, totem poles, or jewelry.